Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) senatorial candidate Salvador Panelo gained the last-minute endorsement of El Shaddai over the weekend.
El Shaddai, the biggest Catholic charismatic group in the country with eight million members, announced Saturday night, May 7 that it would carry Panelo's name in the polls.
In a Facebook post, the former chief legal counsel and spokesperson of President Duterte profusely thanked Bro. Mike Velarde and El Shaddai for their endorsement of his candidacy.
“With El Shaddai’s help, I’ll be able to serve the needs of our countrymen, especially children and persons with disability. If God wills my victory, you can be certain that I won’t let you and them down," he said.
Panelo, once father to a child with disability (CWD), is pushing for free special education and therapy for CWDs, and the establishment of nursing homes for orphaned or abandoned CWDs.
He was outside the "Magic 12" or the winners' circle among senatorial aspirants as per the latest survey leading to the May 9 elections.